Should e-cigarettes have more restrictions?

E-cigarettes have become more and more popular over recent years as people across the world try to stop smoking. However, as they have become more common, so too have restrictions over their use. Yet a new study suggests that currently these rules don't go far enough for many.

The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at the University of Michigan in the US revealed that both parents and teenagers think 'vaping' needs stricter regulations.

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Restrictions in public spaces, health warnings and the application of conventional cigarette tax were three measures supported by more than three-fourths of both teens and adults.

More than 80% of parents and teens also said that allowing teens to use e-cigarettes will encourage them to use other tobacco products. With 42% of teenagers saying they know peers who had used e-cigarettes, this belief could be problematic if true.

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Matthew M. Davis, director of the National Poll on Children's Health and professor of paediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit of U of M's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, said:

"Just as we are seeing declines in smoking of conventional cigarettes, there has been rapid growth in the use of electronic cigarettes among youth. Our poll indicates that both parents and teens agree that e-cigarettes pose several concerns."

Other findings from the survey include:

Over half of parents and teens think it is easy for people under 18 to buy e-cigarettes.

64% of parents and 71% of teens support banning sweet and fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes.

14% of parents report having tried or are currently using e-cigarettes, compared to 9% of teens

While US-based, the research has implications for societies across the globe, suggesting governments need to tighten up on e-cigarettes.

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